Slack-adjuster.



BEST AVAILABLE COP 7 v PATENTED APR. 24., 1.906.

W. G. PRICE. SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1905.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, 31 wanton BEST AVAILABLE COP PATENTE'D APR. 24, 1906' W. G. PRICE.

SLACK ADJUSTER. APPIJOATION FILED FEB. 1'1. 1905.

2 sums-SHEET 2,

BESTAVAILABLECOP UNITED Siil tfiil'S PATENT OFFICE.

\ViLLlAM (i. PRICE, OF IIT'ISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLACK-ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Yatentl atnreu Apru. 24; 1906.

Application filed February 11, 1905. Serial No. 245.310.;

'1o'art to'whieh it appertains to make and use .Ettliusaim-P- tlhis".inytmt-ion relates to imjuovements in brake-rigg ngfor car-trucks,and more parr 'lhdobject in \'i'e.\\' IS the provision of meansfor-iantoniaticallytaking up shiek produced by the wear-of brake-shoes;and 't his object is "at-e mnplished'rby. the provision of a movableelement inteq osed between the brake-shoes ind designeglito bemoved inone'direetion for takiugu I tlien ear of such shoes and a plural; Y,ityj of reiati'vely small objects designed to be nioredinto thepath ofmovement of said 1 movable element for preventing a return 25 strokethereof.

'lhe invent ion further involves the concep- Qtion of takingup the wearnot only of brakeshoes, but. also of any mwhaniealelements byi the eni'iloyment .of separable devices and relativelysmall articles adapted tobe moved between said devices for maintaining the -3nme spaced apart,said devices being designed to be coimected with the wearing parts fortaking up the siaek pn duc-ed by the wear th'ereoti, .7 i i Wit-h t-heaiwvemtentiuned and other objects in view the invention furthercomprises certain novel eonstruotimis. combinations,

, and arrangements of parts, as will be herein- 40 after fully deseribedand claimed.-

Inthe ac'conunmyiug drawings, {figure i represents a view, partly in eevation and partly in section, ofp sla(-k-.a lj'ustingdevice embodyingthe features of the present inventionand illuhteated' as applied to acar-truck.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged de'tail loiigitn- I feeied to. andconstitute. no part. of the presdinal' section through the slack-adjuster prtiper. p 1

he present invention relates generally to 5 v end a bracket Hisupporting at itsfree end :1

5b the type of devices disclosed by my f rmer application for LettersPatent designated b v Serial No. 186,399; tiled by me on the 23d day ofDecember,i903, the invention being 'espceiaiiy applicable to ear-brakes,but clearly iiivolvinga scope including any mechaiucal su )stantiallyhorizontally: .butgm ca devices wherein it is desirable to take up.slack 1produeed by wear or otherwisey Re erring to the drawingsbynumrals, -1 1 indicate the ordinarysu pporting'whels of a. truckcarrying the axles 2, each of, which axles support the-ordinarybearing-bait 3, the t bearing-boxes 3 being inelosed by side frames' 4,and an equalizer-bar 5 being int 'e-L osed be tween thehoxes3upon eachsideofit e truck. '7 i As each side of the truck is made exactlyflike,65

the other, I have illustrated but one-siid 'ofg the truck, and byreferenc e'tolFig. '1 it will seen that a bracket 6 is fixed to theequalizer bar 5 near eachend thereof. and" xtiid upwardly. andoverhangs' the" 'c6n' sp nding bra ke-b'eam T. 1 A link- 8 ispivotallyc0nn '(ited at its up or end to theupper'end'ofe'nch of thebrae 'ets 6 and extends and 'jii'v. otally engages a lug 9, ext-endingupw Ijdly from the corresponding brake-beam? ivhe'rei by the brake-beams7. are-'uppqrte' b Y; (t uahzer-bars 5 and areleft :fr o isiwl.

out the-present invention [findit v to prevent too free swingingoffqaidbrdkei-gfiof; beams, and l thereforeinterpose betweenthe nut 10of bolts 11, ivotally ctmneqtin l the link S with the bra'e 'et (Land,said bifgciet' a" spring 12, \vhiehproduees friction and: t onallyresists pivotal movement-ofth 8 with respect to the bracket; 6 whentlfifiat it) is threaded. home. 'ilig--sprifig l2 i of} coursemakes possiblethe m'aii it-ainingof any-w desired degree of friction. The bolt 13forms the pivot al connection between the lbwer'end of the link 8 andtheiug 9. and aeoil-spring l l surmunds said bolt 13 and is adapted I.engaged byt he nut 15 for prodtieingfrietion in amannersimilartotheactioiiof the spring; V it. above mentioned. inoperqtlonthe fn z tion of the pivots ofthe links bf is maintained atpreferably a high degree ien'iinsuringrthe' Y; brake-lwams 7 remainingat any given adjusted position. 'Khe Stl'ltt'iillts abqve'liiefl tionedare-all clearly set forth in luv-former mo; application. Serial No.lt(i.39S tlbbve''reent invention and are not;elaimedlmmine lCach of thebrake-beams 7 carries at each r05: brake-shoe- 5U, positioned forengaging the respective wheel I. Arranged, preferably, centrally ofthelength of eaeh of-the brakebeams 7 is abifureated bar'iT, whiehis ti'xedt.o.tbe respective beam, extends outwardly 1 IO I provided' iivithinternalchambers or longitu- 'dinalcavitiesi-ZS and 29, and a rod orplunger tudirially movably mounted therein, .a bar 31 5ft he'lever 18opposite the lever pivotally enlargeaperture .38, the-aperture fug- 360'lstermguvitjh an aperture 39, formed in the leiavenwall oftht casing.27.; t-Avplug-valve 40 therefrom, and pivotally engages a brake-lel ver18, each of the bars 17 being formed with 5 a chamber 19, containing aspring 20,- engaging the respective bar 17 at one end and the l 5respective lever 18 at the other, said spring f 20 serving to take upthe wear between the respective lever 18 and its pivotal connection iwith- 'the bar 17. The-truck illustrated in th accompanying drawings,.to which the disclosed embodiment of the resent inven- .'tion isapplied, is provided wit a transom 21 at each .side and acentrally-arranged bolster, as is'usual in this ty e of truck, and a'bracket 22 extends upward y from one .of-lthe tran soms. 21 and 1spivotaliy engaged by link 23, which link extends to and is pivotallycon-' nectedwith-the upper endofcne of the-l e-.

, vers 18.- The" other lever18'is ivotally en- '-gaged by any preferredform of raft appara- ',tus 24, which may be connected in any pre-'ferred manner and operated as desired for swinging the lever 18. .Thelevers 18 extend below their'pivotal connectionwith the bars -,17;'andattheir lower. ends are pivotally connected together by means ofv anexpanding adjuster, (seen in detail in Fig. 2,) said'adjustei: beingdesigned to; convey 1 movement from'the, lever connected with the draftapfraratus 24 to the opposite lever for purposes 1 ereinaftermentioned;

: -fllhe,r ,,expanding" adjuster connectin the v lower endsof; thelevers 18 consists of on ifftndinally-separable elements and means or-.-maintaining such elements in their separated condition as longas'desired." More specifically,';;said expending adjuster'consis'ts ofan farm 25,- piv0ted,-as-at 26, to the lower end of one ofthe lvers 18and carrying a casing 27,

-extends into the chamber 29 and is longibeing rigidly fixed to the rod30 and pivotally connected, as at 32, to the lower end of agingf arm 25,'The arm 25 carries at its 3 eeenda casing 33, carrying a spring34, en-

gagin'gthelower end of the res ective lever -;.'18an pressin the sametower the pivot 26 ,50'f01' t? injg up 1: e zwear between the lever andpiv'o cap 35,"-similar to. the cap 33, is

carridfby'the barafl, and a spring 36 is carried by said cap and engagesthe lever 18 for-- pressingthe samcjtoward pivot 32 fontaking 55' up vwear;between; the parts. A relatively emallnapertnre 37 is formed 'inthe'par-tition l between; the chambers "28 and: 29,- and near theetidffofythe, chambefflflisfoxmeda rela---- v-extends tliroughthe'apcrtures 39 and-3S and isboredjoiigitudinally, as at 41-, thediameter of 'theibgreglrl being preferably several times og'greaterthan-the diameter (if-aperture 37. i

.-.cate

BEST AVAILABLE COP the pin, 44 alsoextending through the casing 37-f0r.locking the valve against rotation.

' A plug 45 is threaded into'one end of' chamber .28 for forming aremovable closure for the end'of' said chamber 28, plug 45 being aperetured, as at 46, for receivinga detent-pirn The inner endlof the rod 30is preferably 30 bored jcentrallylongitudinally and 'inclose's acoiled'spring 47", pressing the end of a pistonrod 48, said piston-rodcarrying at its outer end piston-head 49i- The spring 47 isprefer-f fablyrelatively weak and serves normally to maintain; the head 49; spaceda relatively short distance from the end' f the rod'30; In rac'tice whenthe parts are, being" remove the rod 30is projected into' the cham-';ber 29 to its farthest extent, and-the chambflgq 28 fillediwithpreferabl steel 1balls','. ,the j bore of plug 40 being also filled andanyspacej within th'e'chamber 29 betweenplug 40am! the p'iston-head49.being alsolefilled with balls 7: The lug 40 is ofcourse positionedasfindir v diin Fig. 2, with-its bore 42 turned away :5 from thechamber29 for preventing commu n-ication between thechambers 23 and29ex- 1 cept throu h the aperture 37,sa1 d aperture fl H 37 being 0 adiameter'eq uahtof or 'sli htly' less than twice 'the'diameter'ol" one 0the 1 balls within the chamber 28. 'I findin-pra'ctice that longitudinalressure on plungerro'd30 within the chamler29 will not force a ballupwardly through the aperture 37 unless= the same is made'of greaterdiametenthan approximately-three tnnesthe diameter. of'a h and .as thepracticing of my; invention necessitates the su plying of balls fromehamber 28 to'olmmlier 29 and thcpreventingof the return'of suchballsIm'ake the aperture 37 of about the sire indicated, which ample to admitthe ball from chamber 28 to chamber 29, but willfnpt permit the returnof such hall. 1'15 When the-iiraftnieehanism 24 is perated e foractuating thei-parts and appl mg the bracket-shoes 50; the draw-bars 171 7 will 'be spread-,i' aphrt or away from each other, due to mover'nentht one of .the levers 1'8 in one (llIOC-" 1 so tion-and the movement ofthe other lever 18 in the opposite rlirection,;one ofsaid evers beingjactuated by the ot-lieri itlirou h the expanding adjusterabove-described, movemcnt being'imparted from one of thelevers 12 5 18'through-armilii, the balls iconta-inedwith in chamber-29,ro l 3(),andhar 3,1 to the other 1 lever 18, whereby the ballswithin chamber 29will be pressed togcthcr-qi'but in practice I find that saidballs do notgive way and con-v v3 .hfother' -If the-shoeshare been H) eontaet wi-"-,1ng"11nov einent of the draft mechanism 24 oalis esith rod 30 to bepulled out of the oas-' mg and a'ball will drop from the chamberoccasioned by the separation of the part of shoes" are again applied theslack, which 2o otherwise would have existed, will have beentakenj'up-and the brakes may be applied without", any lost motion Thisoperation may continue nntil al-lot, the balls in the j chamber 28 havebeen deposited in chan'iber. 29, atwhichtime the shoes 50 will have beenworn to such an extentas' tobe no longer serv-' ioeable'. To" place the'parts in serviceable condition, is only necessary to remove the I in l44, rotate the .valve' 50 for bringing the 3o" ore 42j into" registerwith the chamber 39, and'thriist tlie.rod longitudinally into thechamber '29.to the-full extent of its move mnt' isa id longitudinalmovements of the rod 39 causing the balls within the chamber 5.129 tomove through the bore 42 and bore4l nthe valrfe '40 and into the chamber28'. v As so e the balls heve been restored to their normal position theValve 40 will-be rotated to the osition indicatedin Eig. 231ml the in o-44"rep seed," theanertureforifiedin the va ve 40 for. twopti onof thepin 44 bein positiqned at one side of the axis of .t-hc-va ve for Iinsnrin the'proper positioning of the valve when the pin is inserted, itbeing -ebsolutely 5 necessary-to have the end of the chamber 29' .olos'ed .for 'vroducing ollleient operation of.

v -v the partssfllhe bores-41 and 42 of valve g) nurse muchlarger thanthe aperture.

, we beingQjo'r histan'cevl'oni of five 5 i'e'ater'thanthe diameteroibnebf the i bell so'that while a ball cannot be forced upward] throughthe aperture 37 by a lon gitudina thrust of the -rod 30 a number ofballs may be readily forced through the bores 41 and 42. e Y

The casing '27is usually madeof cast metal;

but 'I have found that by continuous use the halls produce slightindentations inthe. walls 7 of chamber .29 and destroy tho cllioionoy ofoo the ap iaratus and make dillicult the return of the lmlls tothochamher 38. In order to obviate this obj otiom'l line the chamber 2!)with a preferably steel casing 29. Of course the casing 29 may bexmadeof any suitable material.

il'cti'eally sliglitl \"to1iclii1ig the bthatthe beams" 7 7. do not apththe wheels, the releascasin "28 into the 'chambn29 and take up the shape5 'said expanding adjuster, 'so that when the 5 BEST AVAlLABLE COP I h a,eel

free longitudinal separation. ol' the parts,

' while 'cll'cctuall provcming admission of i dust or'olhcrforoignsuhslanrc lo. the moving nlvmcnls'or to thc'ba'lls. For thcpu'rposv'of i'aoilitating application and rclcnlion of the easing 51 theand of the casing 27 isannularl groovmlfas a! 5'3, and the bar 3| issimilarly grooved, as 21153.: thc cnds of tho g 51- bcing suitablysecured within said grooves. I

Haring tln what-l claim ns new, an

is fully desvribcd my invention.

Letters'Patent. is 4 l V 1. .ln s slack-adjusier. the comhiualion withthe elements to ho adjusted, and mcans for friclionall g temporarilymaintaining said elements in an adjusted posilionflil' :i plurality ofmovable objects"adapted to he interposed si 'iglvbetween said elementsfor, permanently maintaining the adjust-momthereof; i s a 3. In aslack-adjuster, the combination with the elcments to luadjusted, meansfor frictionally maintaining such elements tomporarily in an a -ljuslcdposition, ol'rolatively' small elements designed lobe interposed bygravity between said adjusted elements. 1

3. In a slaek-ai-ljuslor, the combination with the elements to beadjusted, and means, frictionally sustaining said elements temporarilyin anadjusted position, of movable objects designed to beinterposedbetween-said adjusted elements, and means for retaining saidobjects bet ween said elements for iermav 'nently maintaining theadjustment t hereol'. 4. A slack-adjuster comprising separable. elementsand balls designed-to be interposed between said elements. 7 5. Aslaclvadjuster comprising separable elements balls designcd to beinterposed between said elements and a casing for com aining said ballswhen'intcrposod between the elements.

6. In aslaek-iuljustorthe (-omhinalion with the parts of amachimrbetween whichslack is to be taken up, of a plurality of ballsdesignedto be interposed by gravity bet ween said parts for taking up{ho-slack ,thcrcol'.

7." A Slil.(l( illljll llll' comprising separablev elements andl'riclion means for rolaining sa-id elements in given position and ballsdcsigned to be interposed hctrrci-n said olomoms. i 8. In a slackadjustmg' (hecombination with an el cnimit, ol' asccond clomcnl' movablewith rcs eol. thereto, adaplcd lo take up slack am balls designcd to beinterposed hctw'con said elements.

E). in a.slack-adjuster, the combination with an element, of a secondelement movable with respect thereto, a lover pivotally d desiritosccuro'br- 41 BEST AVAILABLE COP with the rod-surrounding portion of thecasand means -for introducing relatively small ing, means carried bysaid chamber, designed movable elements between said rod and to contactwith said rod for reventing epcasing. preach thereof toward the end ofthe casing, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 5 a, closlre forthe endlof said clziamber sad in in presence of two witnesses.

accor ion casing inc osing sa-i rod an t e open end of said casing. CE1' 26. An expanding adjuster comprising a Witnesses: i

movably-mounted rod, a casing surrounding LEO M0 UISTION, 10 the same,a. h lrdened lining for said easing ROLLA .Moqprsrlom;

